1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of hologram production and, more particularly, to the deposition of photosensitive material for hologram production.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous devices and techniques have been disclosed for producing and displaying various types of holograms including one-step techniques, updateable techniques, techniques relying on fringe pattern calculation, and traditional object/reference beam interference techniques. Moreover, the subject matter of the scenes displayed in such holograms varies from simple demonstration scenes, to artistic renderings, to portraits, to scenes of complex devices or spaces, and beyond. One important part of any hologram production system or display is the holographic recording material used.
Some of the limiting factors in the design of hologram production devices generally, and in the design of hologram hardcopy production systems in particular, are the requirements associated with the holographic recording material. Many such materials are difficult to handle and store, and they may have limited shelf life depending on the manner in which they are used. For example, since holographic recording systems use photosensitive media into which the holographic information is recorded during the authoring process, care must be taken to limit the media's exposure to light in advance of the recording process. State-of-the art digital hologram writing systems for hardcopy production, such as those developed by Zebra Imaging, Inc., accept photosensitive film or plates and produce three-dimensional displays for visualization and other applications. To date, such systems have made use of pre-fabricated materials that include holographic recording media such as photopolymers that were previously coated onto rigid or flexible substrates. These materials generally need to be kept under subdued lighting conditions prior to exposure because of the materials' photosensitivity.
Holographic recording material handling and accommodation considerations also complicate efforts to develop automated digital hologram writers. In general, such devices should be able to operate in a fairly automated manner, at reasonable speeds, yet still be relatively compact and easy to use. Handling large rolls or sheets of holographic recording material, coupled with the need to protect the material from the environment (e.g., light, contaminants, etc.) clearly posses significant challenges for hologram production devices. Thus, the nature of holographic recording materials and the manner in which they are used in holographic production systems have further complicated the development of automated digital hologram writers.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have improved systems and methods for providing holographic recording material to devices used to record holograms.